Norrie signs his first final of the year in Metz | ATP Tour
Metz
Norrie reaches his first final of the year and fights for the title against Bonzi in Metz.
The British fought back from 2-5 down in the second set tiebreak to avoid a third set.
November 08, 2024
Moselle Open / Chrislen Cayo
Author: ATP editorial staff
It’s never too late to achieve good results in the season. And Cameron Norrie can attest to this: the Briton overcame a thrilling and entertaining semi-final battle with Corentin Moutet on Friday to reach the Moselle Open title match.
In a duel between two southpaws, Frenchman Moutet asked for support from the crowd and showed off his dazzling moments – even serving low on several occasions – but it was not enough to stop Norrie winning 6-2, 7-6 (5).
The Briton trailed 2/5 in the second set tie-break before scoring five points in a row to finish the match in one hour and 32 minutes to secure his place in his first round-robin final since winning the title in Rio de Janeiro in January 2023 . .
“It’s been a tough year for me and I haven’t really been able to get any momentum going so it’s nice to end the last week of the year playing in the final,” said Norrie, who won 75% of his second serve points compared to De Moute’s 43%, according to Infosys ATP statistics. “I fought for every point again. It’s also nice to have my first indoor final.”
With his win, Norrie improved to 2–1 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Moutet, with all three matches played in France.
“Honestly, he’s one of my favorite players,” Norrie said of Muta. “The way he moves is incredible and his hands are next level. I knew it would be hard.” Currently, Norrie, who suffered a forearm injury mid-season, has climbed to 50th place in the live PIF ATP rankings.
The 29-year-old will next face French qualifier Benjamin Bonzi, who will be vying for his first trophy in front of the crowd. Bonzi took advantage of his fifth match point to defeat #NextGenATP Alex Michelsen 4-6, 6-0, 7-5.
Bonzi broke serve at 5-3 in the deciding set but kept his cool to reach his third final of the tournament. The 28-year-old has won 20 of his last 21 matches at all levels, including two ATP Challenger Tour titles at home. After winning the semi-finals, Bonzi returns to the top 100 for the first time since January.